1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in a beverage flotation device. More particularly the improvement relates to an attachment for a beverage cooler that retains the beverage in an upright orientation.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Several products and patents have been filed an issued on drink insulators and retaining devices for beverages that are consumed while a person is in the water. Depending upon the amount of wakes that are encountered while on the water and the amount of natural or artificial topography that exists in the body of water the beverage can tip over. Some of these devices operate as stand-alone flotation devices or utilize existing beverage coolers coolies or koozies. Exemplary examples of patents covering these products are disclosed herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,194 issued Feb. 18, 1986 to James M. Kiss et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,090 issued Aug. 19, 2003 to Stephen Doerr disclose floating beverage holders that a user blows air into the inflate the float. The user can then open to filling valve to deflate the float when it is not being used. While this patent provides for a floatation device the amount of thermal insulation to the beverage is limited. The physical size of these devices is also significant because the floatation area must be significantly large to create enough width to make the float stable in the water.
U.S. Pat. No. D440,469 issued Apr. 17, 2001 to John J. Krist et al discloses a Floatation Holder For a Beverage Container. This design patent is a for a molded or formed beverage holder with an enlarged base that provides for a floatation device. This device requires a wide base for floatation. When a full soda container is placed within the container it is top heavy and can tip over with a large wave.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,764 issued Sep. 5, 1995 to Mark H. Langford and U.S. Pat. No. 6,616,493 issued Sep. 9, 2003 both disclose an essentially thick flat foam float that slides around the cylindrical side of the soda can. This is a simple version of a floatation device, but it provides minimal insulation to the beverage can and the location of the floatation device on the soda can is variable based upon placement by the user. If the floatation device is not placed properly on the can the can is more susceptible to tipping over.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,505 issued Jan. 31, 2006 to Robert Ray Wells discloses a Buoyant Apparatus for Attachment to Beverage Insulators Holding Beverage Containers. The device works with a standard beverage container insulator. The bottom of the beverage container insulator must be modified to allow the attachment to fit through the bottom of the insulator. The bottom of the buoyant apparatus is rigid and can tip over if the weighted end comes in contact with a rock or the ground.
What is needed is a compliant upright drink insulator attachment that works with an existing drink insulator. The bottom of the attachment device needs to be compliant to move with the waves of the water and compliant enough to still keep the drink in an upright orientation around rocks and shallow water.